Acadiana Work Injury Lawyer
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured workers across Acadiana and the rest of South Louisiana, from Lafayette and its surrounding parishes to Lake Charles and beyond, along with workers throughout Mississippi. If you need an Acadiana work injury lawyer, the first thing to know is that your claim sits in a specific legal track: Louisiana’s workers’ compensation system, with its own judges, deadlines, and appeal routes, separate from an ordinary lawsuit.
Acadiana’s economy produces a particular kind of injury file. Oilfield and offshore support work, sugar cane and agricultural labor, plant and refinery maintenance, trucking along the I-10 and I-49 corridors, and hospital and nursing work all generate claims here. Back and spine injuries, shoulder tears, fractures, and burns are common, and the insurer’s first response is often to question how the injury happened or blame an old condition.
A work injury is also not always just a comp claim. If a negligent driver hit your work truck, or a contractor who was not your employer created the hazard, a separate injury claim may sit alongside your benefits. Getting those two tracks to work together, not against each other, is part of what a lawyer who handles both should do.
What Sets a Louisiana Comp Claim Apart From Other Injury Cases
People often assume a work injury works like a car wreck claim. It does not. In workers’ compensation, you generally do not have to prove your employer was careless. The trade-off is that benefits are fixed by statute: medical treatment, wage replacement, and additional benefits for permanent disability. There is no recovery for pain and suffering in the comp system itself.
Disputes are heard by workers’ compensation judges in the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration, not by a jury. Louisiana has ten district workers’ compensation courts, including one in Lafayette and one in Lake Charles. Under the venue rules, you choose where the hearing is held: the parish where you were hurt, the parish where you lived at the time, or the parish of your employer’s principal place of business. That choice can matter for convenience and for where your witnesses and doctors are.
Wage benefits follow the same logic. Temporary total disability covers you while you cannot work at all. If you return to lighter work at lower pay, supplemental earnings benefits can make up part of the gap. They are calculated as two-thirds of the difference between your pre-injury wages and what you earn or are able to earn, and they apply when you cannot earn at least 90 percent of what you made before. Supplemental earnings benefits stop at 520 weeks, and weeks of temporary total disability count toward that total. The weekly maximum is tied to the date of your accident and is not adjusted afterward.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for an Acadiana Work Injury Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is a workers’ compensation firm serving injured workers throughout Louisiana and Mississippi, including Lafayette, Acadia, St. Landry, St. Martin, Iberia, Vermilion, and neighboring communities. The firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements for clients. Consultations are free, the firm advances the costs of the case, you pay nothing unless benefits or a settlement are recovered, and phones are answered 24 hours a day. Spanish-speaking clients can work with the team in their own language, hablamos español.
The results are concrete. The firm secured $685,000 for a surgical tech with a lower back injury, $600,000 for a construction worker with a complex back injury, $385,000 for a project manager injured when his work vehicle was struck, and $221,000 for a land-based oil rig worker with severe burns. Those are the kinds of injuries Acadiana workers bring to us.
Rob Lunsford, Founding Partner, has spent his entire legal career representing injured workers. Partners Brad Baskin and Jennifer Priebe have been recognized by Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and The National Trial Lawyers, and the firm was ranked by Best Law Firms in 2026 for Workers’ Compensation Law, Claimants, in Jackson. Andrew Rueff has tried dozens of jury and bench trials to verdict, and Keaton Belk and Erin Heimlicher round out the team. Clients describe an attorney who listens, a team that is easy to work with, and someone who stood up to the insurance company at every step.
Injuries and Claim Types We See From Acadiana Workers
- Back, Neck, and Spine Injuries: Lumbar and cervical disc herniations from lifting, pulling pipe, or driving heavy equipment. Insurers frequently point to degenerative disc disease, so the claim turns on medical evidence showing the job caused or aggravated the condition.
- Shoulder and Knee Tears: Rotator cuff tears, SLAP tears, ACL tears, and meniscus tears are common among derrickhands, mechanics, and delivery and truck drivers. Employers sometimes recast them as old sports injuries.
- Burns and Catastrophic Injuries: Oil rig, plant, and industrial site accidents can cause severe burns and life-altering trauma that require long-term specialist care.
- Fractures: Broken feet, ankles, and hips from falls, struck-by incidents, and equipment accidents often require surgery and extended time away from work.
- Trucking and Work-Vehicle Wrecks: Drivers and employees hurt on the road may have both a comp claim and a claim against the at-fault driver.
- Denied or Cut-Off Benefits: Claims where the insurer disputes that the accident happened at work, stops paying wages without warning, or refuses a doctor’s recommended treatment.
- Death Benefits and Wrongful Death: When a worker is killed on the job, the family may have comp death benefits and, if a third party was at fault, a separate wrongful death claim.
What to Do After a Work Injury in Louisiana
Report the injury to your employer right away. Louisiana law bars a compensation proceeding unless the employer receives notice within 30 days of the injury, so waiting is the single most avoidable mistake. Put the report in writing if you can and keep a copy. Then get medical care and tell every provider the injury happened at work, so the records connect your condition to the job from day one.
A formal claim generally must be filed within one year of the accident. If compensation payments have already been made, that window can extend to three years from the last payment, but do not count on that exception. If you are hurt at work and also hurt by someone outside your employer, the separate injury claim has its own clock; for injuries on or after July 1, 2024, Louisiana’s general tort period is two years.
When treatment is denied, a short and strict dispute process begins. You have 15 calendar days from written notice of the denial to file Form 1009 with the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration, and the medical director then has 30 calendar days to decide. If you disagree with that decision, you have 45 days from its issuance to file Form 1008 to take the dispute to a workers’ compensation judge. Those deadlines run from the notice, not from when you decide to act.
After a judge rules, a final judgment can be appealed to the court of appeal. Acadiana cases fall within the Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeal, whose parishes include Acadia, Lafayette, Iberia, St. Landry, St. Martin, Vermilion, Evangeline, and Calcasieu. An appeal that suspends the judgment must be filed within 30 days, and one that does not suspend it within 60 days, counted from the day after the judgment was signed or notice was mailed, whichever is later. A party can then seek review from the Louisiana Supreme Court by applying for a writ within 30 days of notice of the judgment.
Avoid giving a recorded statement to the adjuster before you have spoken with a lawyer, avoid returning to work before your doctor releases you, and do not sign anything that closes out your benefits without understanding what you are giving up. Keep a record of missed pay, mileage to appointments, and every denial letter.
How Insurers Contest Acadiana Claims, and How They Are Answered
Insurers use a predictable set of arguments. They claim the accident did not happen at work, that there were no witnesses, that the condition was already there, or that you were well enough to go back. Each has a factual answer. Coworker statements, supervisor reports, imaging, and treating-physician opinions build the record that rebuts them. A pre-existing condition does not end a claim if the job caused, worsened, or accelerated it.
The other pressure point is the independent medical examination and the pushed return to work. A light-duty offer that does not match your restrictions, or a release from a doctor who has not reviewed your full history, can be used to cut off wage benefits. Challenging that early, before benefits stop, is far easier than trying to restart them later.
Common Questions About Acadiana Work Injury Claims
Do I need a lawyer for a workers’ compensation claim in Louisiana?
Not every claim requires one, but if benefits are denied, delayed, reduced, or cut off, or your injury will keep you out of work for a long time, a lawyer can make a major difference. The insurer has adjusters and attorneys protecting its interests.
How much does it cost to hire Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, the firm advances the costs of your case, and you pay only if benefits or a settlement are recovered. Attorney fees in comp cases are limited and approved under state law.
How long do I have to report a work injury in Louisiana?
Report it to your employer as soon as possible and no later than 30 days after the injury. Late notice is one of the easiest ways for an insurer to defeat an otherwise valid claim.
How long do I have to file a formal claim?
Generally one year from the date of the accident. If compensation has been paid, the deadline can extend to three years from the last payment. Because exceptions depend on specifics, speak with a lawyer early.
Can I be fired for filing a workers’ compensation claim?
Louisiana protects workers from retaliation for filing a comp claim. If you were let go or punished after reporting an injury, tell us during your consultation so we can review your options.
What if my injury was caused by a pre-existing condition?
A prior condition does not automatically bar your claim. If your work caused, aggravated, or sped up the problem, benefits may still be owed. Strong medical evidence is what answers this argument.
Where will my case be heard if I live in Lafayette but was hurt in another parish?
Louisiana lets the worker choose among the parish where the injury occurred, the parish where you lived when hurt, and the parish of the employer’s principal place of business. The workers’ compensation courts for Lafayette and Lake Charles are both within reach of Acadiana workers.
What happens if my doctor’s recommended surgery is denied?
You have 15 calendar days from written notice of the denial to file Form 1009 with the Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration. The medical director then has 30 calendar days to rule. Missing the 15-day window can cost you the dispute, so bring the denial letter to a lawyer immediately.
I was injured by another driver while working. Can I get comp and sue the driver?
Often yes. Comp benefits come from your employer’s insurer, and a separate injury claim against the at-fault driver is a different case. The two interact, including how the comp insurer may be repaid from a third-party recovery, which is why they should be handled together. Louisiana now bars recovery for a claimant found 51 percent or more at fault in causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026, so fault arguments matter more than before.
Will I still be paid if I can only do lighter work at lower pay?
You may qualify for supplemental earnings benefits, which cover two-thirds of the difference between your old wages and what you earn or can earn, when you cannot earn at least 90 percent of your prior pay. They run until you return to full duty or full wages, or until the 520-week limit is reached.
Do you represent workers who speak Spanish?
Yes. Hablamos español, and Spanish-speaking clients can work with our team in their own language from the first call to the end of the case.
Do you handle claims for workers who live in Acadiana but were hurt in Mississippi?
Yes. The firm handles both Louisiana and Mississippi claims. Mississippi has different deadlines, including 30 days to report and generally two years to file with the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, so the state where the injury happened governs which rules apply.
Representing Injured Workers Across Acadiana and South Louisiana
Our work for Acadiana clients starts in Lafayette and runs through Lafayette Parish communities such as Youngsville, Broussard, Carencro, Scott, and Duson. We also represent workers in Acadia Parish, including Crowley, Rayne, and Church Point; in St. Landry Parish, including Opelousas, Eunice, and Sunset; and in St. Martin Parish, including St. Martinville and Breaux Bridge. Further south and west, we serve injured workers in Iberia Parish around New Iberia, in Vermilion Parish around Abbeville and Kaplan, and in Evangeline Parish around Ville Platte.
The firm’s reach extends from there across South Louisiana to Lake Charles, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans, and statewide to Shreveport and north Louisiana. We also represent workers across Mississippi, from Jackson and Madison to the Gulf Coast, Hattiesburg, Southaven, the Delta, and north Mississippi. Wherever on the job you were hurt, whether on a rig, in a plant, on a haul route, or in a hospital, the claim is built around the same medical evidence and the same insurer playbook.
Talk to an Acadiana Work Injury Attorney Today
If you were hurt on the job, you do not have to take on the insurer by yourself. An Acadiana work injury attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review what happened, explain which deadlines apply to you, and start working on your medical care and wage benefits right away. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, consultations are free, and you pay no fee unless we recover benefits for you. Call today to talk through your claim.
